


Another Side, Another Story

by soulfulsin



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:54:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23868604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soulfulsin/pseuds/soulfulsin
Summary: For years, Mrs. Beakley has kept the truth of Webby's parents a mystery. Now, however, Webby's mother has decided that she has an interest in Webby and wants to bring her into the fold. The problem? Webby's mother is Bianca Beakley, a.k.a. Bugmaster, and working with FOWL.How far will Bianca Beakley go to "reclaim" her rogue daughter? Will she be able to indoctrinate Webby into FOWL?Not if the others have anything to say about it.
Comments: 25
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Bianca Beakley is an actual character from a Darkwing Duck episode, btw. I believe she joined FOWL in the comics? I haven't read all of the DWD comics, unfortunately. Some of them are kinda hard to get. 
> 
> This was originally posted in my one-shots, but since I wrote two chapters for this in one day, I guess I'll just post it on its own instead. XD

Bianca Beakley had left her daughter in her mother’s care over a decade ago. Webby had been a byblow and a needless distraction, one that Bianca didn’t need for her nascent criminal career. Of course, her mother had claimed that she’d broken her heart and this and that; she’d been quite aggrieved that Bianca would abandon her daughter. Children always got underfoot, however, and she had no intention of dealing with her if she didn’t have to. 

For over a decade, Bianca had heard little about Webby, except through occasional reports. She was kept within McDuck Manor and only allowed to leave under controlled conditions. Bianca had found that amusing; what did her mother think would happen? Would she swoop in and kidnap her? What had she told Webby, anyway? That FOWL had killed her parents?

Bianca had always laughed at that. No, darling, FOWL _are_ your parents. A little bit of Darth Vader versus Anakin Skywalker there.

Then, however, things got interesting. Mrs. Beakley loosened her leash on Webby and FOWL’s occasional reports increased. Webby was not only permitted access to the outside world but proved to be instrumental in many events around Duckburg. That wasn’t what had caught her attention, however. It was that Mrs. Beakley had trained Webby, perhaps to be a junior SHUSH agent, and that would not do. 

Now that Webby was no longer a young child, she was past the irritating beginning phases. Bianca wouldn’t have to teach her how to talk, walk, eat, potty-train her, etc. She could focus her attention on what really mattered--teaching her the family business. She was certain that Mother had brainwashed her into believing that FOWL were the bad guys and perhaps they were. However, good or bad was a matter of perspective. It all depended on what side of the fence you were standing on.

FOWL’s current aim was to continue spreading its reach while remaining below Scrooge McDuck’s radar. Their eventual plan was to topple him, which she thought admirable but misguided. Then again, though she’d been working with FOWL for over a decade, Scrooge had never interested her.

On the other hand, fame had interested her; she’d been a reporter in a past life, but it hadn’t been enough. Besides, no one paid any attention to newscasters anymore. They got all of their information off the internet; reporting was a dying art. Anyone could do it, it seemed.

Scrooge McDuck and his family had been a big-ticket item for a long time, until Della Duck vanished, as did her stories. If she couldn’t get attention by reporting on the news, then she’d decided that she’d get it by making the news. As the Bugmaster, she had remained relatively on the down-low for years, orders from High Command. They didn’t want FOWL to emerge as a superpower until it was too late to stop them. Black Heron had already announced her presence too soon, but she’d also seemingly perished, which suited High Command well enough. 

Bianca didn’t care for Black Heron. Part of it had to do with her distaste regarding her attempt to murder her mother and the rest had to do with her style. Black Heron liked to pretend she was better than anyone else, but Bianca knew better. She and her toady Steelbeak were nothing special. Steelbeak hadn’t been in the crime business long enough to make a dent and Black Heron had been out of it for too long. They did, ironically, make a good team for that reason. They were both out of their league.

With FOWL activity heating up, High Command had given her the go-ahead to proceed, albeit with caution. She was not to reveal her identity or even hint at it. That suited her. She intended to draw Webby into her web without letting her know until too late who her family really was.

What bothered her, from what she’d observed of Webby, was how bright and _good_ she was. It sickened Bianca. Clearly, her mother’s hand had been too strong. Bianca would need to rectify that. Webby’s outlook on the world was too cheery to last. 

Since the Duck brats were untouchable, as per High Command’s orders and because McDuck Manor was too well guarded, Bianca set her sights elsewhere. Webby might be temporarily untouchable, but her best friends, Lena de Spell and Violet Sabrewing, were not. They were her “in”. 

Plus, as they weren’t monitored the way Webby and the boys were, Bianca should be able to keep an eye on them without arousing suspicion. From there, she could get closer to them. It was amazing how lazy people could be with their children in Duckburg, especially considering how active the criminal element was. Either they were incredibly stupid or just naive. Bianca didn’t care which it was, so long as she got what she wanted.

And she would get what she wanted. No one, especially not her mother and the ragged SHUSH remnants, was going to stand in her way. 

* * *

Lena liked to believe that she had a sense about people, honed from her time with dear old Aunt Magica. Therefore, when she’d accompanied Violet for one of her all too frequent library excursions, she’d noticed that a woman with black hair and a small beak, a female duck in her thirties, was keeping an eye on them. It creeped Lena out. However, by the time Lena opened her beak to say something to Violet, perhaps to warn her, the woman was gone. She didn’t think that she’d been seeing things--that woman had definitely been watching them for a good five minutes--but she hadn’t thought to take a picture. 

“I know you are not the biggest fan of libraries,” Violet said, poring over the card catalog. An actual, physical card catalog. Duckburg Public Library was fully digitized--Lena ought to know, having spent a great deal of time in Webby’s shadow while Webby perused the catalog for shadow realm information. Lena knew that some libraries still possessed them--Webby had also had to obtain interlibrary loans on her hunt--but this one was a relic, an antique from an earlier, much more boring age. Lena couldn’t figure out for the life of her why Violet was using that instead of a computer. Surely the computer would’ve been faster.

As far as she knew, the card catalog remained here either for the technologically illiterate or just because no one had thought to remove it yet. She’d never seen anyone use it besides Violet. The sensation of being watched returned, stronger, and she felt like there were eyes burning a hole into her back. 

“Hey, Vi, do you feel like we’re being watched?” she said in a would-be casual voice, trying not to alarm her sister. 

“For what purpose?” Violet queried, fishing out the corresponding card and scowling at it. She couldn’t remove it--the hole punched in it held it in place in a Rolodex-style. Man, card catalogs were ancient.

“How am I supposed to know why? I’m not crazy, okay?”

“I didn’t suggest that you were,” Violet said mildly. Lena rolled her eyes. Through the weeks that she’d grown into the Sabrewing family and become assimilated, Violet’s mannerisms had ceased to annoy her quite as much. She was accustomed to them, to a certain extent. She’d probably never feel fully integrated, as she’d spent too much time alone before, but she made allowances for Violet. Normally. This was not one of those times.

“Okay, brainiac,” Lena snapped. “If I told you to look in the history section, what would you say?”

“Lena, it is highly unlikely that anyone would find our activity interesting enough to watch us,” Violet pointed out, unperturbed. 

Lena scowled, glancing where she’d sensed the eyes. For a few seconds, she glimpsed a short woman wearing a pink pantsuit with black hair and a small beak about three feet away before she vanished into the stacks. Lena growled, scanning their surroundings. She hadn’t learned how to detect mundane people with magic, not yet, which meant that unless she found a solid lead soon, this would be a wild goose chase.

Plus, she knew from experience that people who didn’t want to be caught tended to be very careful with their movements. Unless, of course, they were Aunt Magica, who had the subtlety of a brick.

Violet copied the information down and then looked in the direction Lena had indicated. “I see nothing.”

“Of course you see nothing _now_ ,” she groused. “You couldn’t have looked up before when I mentioned it. I feel like Candace Flynn.”

“Who?”

“Never mind,” Lena muttered. Still, she wouldn’t let this rest. Her fists glowed, as did her chest, as she advanced through the history stacks. She read the titles and then forgot them a few seconds later. Something about the Revolutionary War. Lena didn’t care. By now, the culprit could’ve snuck out a side or a back exit. She growled again, frustrated.

“Perhaps you are tired,” Violet suggested and Lena whirled, glowering.

“I’m not hallucinating her,” she snapped. “I know what I saw. She had black hair, a pink pantsuit, and a small beak. And Webby’s eyes.”

The last took her breath away. She hadn’t even noticed the eye color resemblance until she’d said it aloud. Unsettled, she shook her head.

“It’s probably a coincidence. Lots of people have blue eyes,” Lena said.

Violet studied her and frowned. Lena continued to glare--she hated when Violet treated her as a test subject instead of a person. It only reminded her that she was a shadow and not real. Thanks again there, Aunt Magica.

“I can check out the book that I need for my research and we can call it a day,” Violet said. She pressed her palm to Lena’s forehead. “Are you feeling ill? You don’t appear to have a temperature.”

Lena grimaced. Great, Violet thought she was nuts. 

“I’m fine now,” Lena snapped, surly. “Let’s just grab the book and go.”

As they moved through the stacks again, Lena kept an eye out for any suspicious activity. She saw nothing, though she couldn’t escape the sense they were being watched. Beyond her eye color, something else had reminded Lena of Webby. Had the beak size been similar? Or was it her facial features? Webby didn’t resemble her grandmother, either in her face nor in body type. Lena had wondered a few times whether Webby was adopted. 

Then again, she knew next to nothing about her parents. She suspected Webby knew about as much as Lena did, which was disconcerting. 

As they left the library, Lena cast a glance behind her. The mysterious woman hadn’t reappeared, but she remained wary. No adults watched children for that long without an ulterior motive. They hadn’t been loud or causing a ruckus. Nothing ought to have drawn that woman’s attention to them, not unless she’d already intended to observe them. It made goosebumps pop up on Lena’s arms. 

She decided that she wouldn’t tell Webby about it. There was no sense in freaking her out over nothing. Nonetheless, she kept close to Violet and prepped her magic, just in case.

* * *

It was a rainy day at McDuck Manor and the boys, Della, and Scrooge were doing another Binventory. This left Webby and her grandmother alone. She had considered inviting her friends over, but one thing had led to another and she’d discovered herself poking through files that she probably shouldn’t have. Agent 22’s case files were behind a locked cabinet in her bedroom and while theoretically, Webby shouldn’t have been able to access them, her grandmother had taught her how to pick locks too well. As her grandmother was currently across the house and nowhere near her bedroom, Webby thought it safe to peek into the files again. 

There wouldn’t be anything new--after all, her grandmother had been retired for decades now. Still, sometimes it was fun to relive her grandmother’s adventures and pretend to be Agent 22. As she fished around inside the filing cabinet, her fingers touched an old Polaroid. Perplexed, as she didn’t recall this from her last venture, she fished it out. 

It was more difficult to retrieve than she’d anticipated, however, and she stood on her tiptoes. It was at the cabinet’s very bottom and, with a gasp, she fell in. She grabbed the picture and then, to her consternation, discovered another, slim folder that was stuck to the bottom. It took a minute to pry up.

Webby righted herself, situated her feet appropriately, and sprang out of the cabinet. She rolled, clutching both the picture and the file, and then looked at her discoveries.

The file folder was old but not as old as the other Agent 22 folders. It was also still sticky and when she opened it, she discovered that more than half of the report was redacted. That was odd. Black marks concealed what must’ve been active agent names and information; Agent 22 had been inactive for so long that almost all of her files were fully disclosed. The date on this suggested it was after her tenure as 22, which perplexed Webby. If Agent 22 wasn’t directly involved, then why did her grandmother have this folder?

She glanced at the Polaroid in her right hand. It depicted a woman wearing a green cape, with a yellow stripe across her abdomen and chest, two red bug eyes on either side of her face, and antennae. In her grandmother’s handwriting read the name “Bugmaster”. Webby had never heard of her before. She’d never figured into any of her grandmother’s Agent 22 exploits. Why had she never heard of her?

There was something oddly familiar about Bugmaster, but Webby couldn’t put her finger on it. Excited that she’d discovered a new mystery to unravel, she took the picture and folder with her back to her room. She situated it on the board and frowned, contemplating the picture. 

She could ask her grandmother about it, but then she’d have to admit that she’d been mucking about in her grandmother’s private folders. There was little that her grandmother didn’t know about her activities within the manor, but Webby thought that she’d keep this to herself for now. Just in case.

Why would her grandmother have a picture of someone after her tenure? And why was the file so heavily redacted? Individual phrases were legible, but much of the report was not. If anything, the contents were more cryptic than informative. 

She tied a string around the thumbtack holding up the file and the picture. Then she stood back, linking it to her FOWL materials. With her hands on her hips, she studied her conspiracy board. She was missing too many pieces. She’d have to return later to her grandmother’s room and see if there was anything that she’d missed. 

FOWL and the Bugmaster and Agent 22. What did they all have in common? What wasn’t she seeing?

The rain pounded against the attic roof as she considered this, but she discovered nothing new. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I watched the ep of DWD that Bianca was in and oh, man, does she have a temper. (“They say he has a temper, he’ll beat you every night. But only when he’s sober, so you’re all right!”) 
> 
> You can tell that I watched it, I think. XD Because her characterization got a lot better, lol.

Bianca sneered as she watched the two girls exit the building. Of course, she knew everything about Lena de Spell and Violet Sabrewing. One of them was a goody-two-shoes and the other was Magica de Spell’s living shadow and the repository of Magica’s power. Both were intimately connected to Webbigail and, as a result, both could offer her the help that she needed. However, Lena’s suspicious nature irritated Bianca. She supposed it came from being Magica’s shadow, but it was irritating. Violet was far more naive.

If she’d been in her former career, she could have possibly used the opportunity to investigate McDuck Manor, but that would’ve been too obvious, regardless. Her mother would’ve been bound to recognize her. No, this plan was better, although it required her to dye her hair and put in green contacts. She’d just finished dyeing her hair so that even if Lena recognized her normal persona, she wouldn’t know this one.

Since her original inception as the Bugmaster, she’d branched out. Real bugs irritated her, especially after her embarrassing defeat years ago. Now, programming and computer bugs were all the rage. It also enabled her to work more subtly; she had become FOWL’s master hacker as a result. That didn’t mean she didn’t dabble in her old motif, as the accessories were still useful, but she didn’t exactly dress up like a bug anymore. Besides, a bug costume was too memorable. Part of how Steelbeak and Black Heron moved around in Duckburg was by virtue of not being seen most of the time; if Bianca wanted to remain anonymous, she had to do the same.

A day had passed since her last observation and it was bright, warm, and seasonably appropriate, as opposed to yesterday’s cold and dreary weather. Lena and Violet had met Webby in the park and although Bianca knew she ought to keep a safe distance away, she couldn’t help but sneak glances at her daughter. 

She supposed, if she’d had any maternal instincts, that it ought to have been stirred by seeing how happy Webby’s friends made her. Bianca sneered. She sat in the picnic area about a dozen feet away from the girls, who were standing in the sun and chatting about the book Violet had taken out the library yesterday. At least, that was what she assumed they were discussing, as Violet had used the book as a prop. Bianca didn’t dare get any closer to eavesdrop--there was such a thing as being too close for comfort.

Webby scanned their surroundings and Bianca briefly wondered whether it was to assess any hidden dangers. But, no, of course not. Webby didn’t think that the world was out to get her. She would learn if Bianca had any say in it.

Webby, to Bianca’s horror, approached the picnic tables so she could spread out the book and the girls could examine it at closer quarters. With her new green contact lenses, her eye color shouldn’t match Webby’s anymore, and her blonde hair...was a shade too light. Bianca cursed inwardly. Now it matched Webby’s, but that was all right. Plenty of people had hair like that. It shouldn’t be noticeable.

“Perhaps we should notify anyone in the immediate vicinity that we intend to perform magic,” Violet said and Lena scoffed.

“If they get hit, that’s their fault, not ours,” she said. The girls had moved alarmingly close now, two tables away, and Webby’s gaze roved until it met Bianca’s. There was a frisson of connection between them and Webby froze. Then she shook her head; perhaps it’d been Bianca’s imagination that there had been any link between them. Webby had no reason to recognize her mother.

“Hi,” Webby said, startling Bianca into temporary stupefaction. “Do you mind if we attempt a spell? I’m not sure what kind of damage it would do, so you might want to back up a few feet.”

She’d walked over to her without Bianca noticing. Sloppy. Bianca grimaced and looked for similarities between them. This was the first time they’d been close enough together for Bianca to really study Webby’s features. She saw much of her in them, as well as a little of her father, good for nothing that he’d been. 

In a normal person, it might have made their heart pang. Anger rose instead. She glared at Webby, who was taken aback by her sudden ire. Her beak curled in disdain.

“Go ahead,” Bianca snapped. “You’re doomed to fail, anyway.”

Then, without another word, she picked up her bag and moved a few more tables away.

Lena called her a derogatory term in a voice that she knew would carry and Bianca entertained a brief thought of strangling the shadow girl. She wasn’t sure where this anger had come from, exactly. She just knew that seeing Webby, so weak and trusting, infuriated her. This was not her daughter. This was what her mother had been allowed to mold. It was disgusting.

Webby was cheerful and always looking on the bright side, always assuming that strangers meant her no harm unless otherwise convinced. And she wanted to show Webby that this wasn’t true. She had a sudden burning desire to hurt her and she choked back on her anger. FOWL would have gone ballistic if she attacked Webby in broad daylight. She needed to bide her time.

“What was her problem?” Lena scoffed, still audible, albeit a little harder to hear. “Who peed in her Cheerios?”

“It doesn’t matter, so long as she avoids the spell area,” Violet said.

Webby faltered and Bianca knew that she had to leave before it was too late. Just being near Webby was too much. In the past, she’d had problems holding her temper. She’d thought she was beyond that now. However, seeing her daughter had brought it all rushing back. She wanted to shake Webby until her head lolled on her shoulders. Moreover, she wanted to smack all of the optimism out of her. 

She drew a shaky breath. She needed to get out now. Even her voice was like nails on a chalkboard. She didn’t want to kill her, which might’ve been Webby’s saving grace. Throat tight with abject fury, she hightailed it out of the park. 

She’d just reached her car when Webby turned up with her friends in tow. Bianca couldn’t breathe for a minute for the resentment. She wanted to throttle her so badly that she had to clench her teeth.

So, no, no maternal instinct, unless you counted the urge to hurt her offspring.

“I don’t know what we said to upset you--” Webby started.

“Give it up, pink. Just leave her alone,” Lena said. “She doesn’t want to talk to us.”

“Did I do something wrong?” Webby asked and her question was innocent, her very nature naive. Bianca wanted to break her.

And she would, she told herself. A plan hatched in her mind. If she got her hands on Webby, she could show her what FOWL would really do to a child. She could mold her into the perfect villain, once she’d beaten out all of her pesky morals and goodness. A disfigurement ought to do nicely with that, not to mention helping to slake Bianca’s blood lust.

Bianca smiled coldly at Webby. “You did nothing wrong. Not yet.”

“‘Not yet?’” Violet repeated, but Bianca had eyes only for Webby. 

“I feel like I know you from somewhere…” Webby said.

Bianca didn’t answer. Instead, she unlocked her car, slipped inside, and locked the door. Then, without waiting for the girls to scatter, she backed out. They moved out of the way fast enough once she’d gotten the car in gear. As she glanced in her rearview mirror, she saw Webby watching her until she turned a corner and the girl was gone.

* * *

“Okay, that woman was seriously giving me creepy vibes,” Lena said, folding her arms across her chest. “Pink, I don’t know what possessed you to go after her, but the next time you have the sudden urge to talk to a ticked off stranger, don’t.”

“It felt so personal, though,” Webby said. “Like she hated me in particular.”

Lena scoffed. “That woman probably hates everyone.”

“Perhaps,” Violet said, though she looked thoughtful. She glanced at the book in her hands and then back at her friends. Lena scowled. Regardless of why Webby had pursued that woman, Lena didn’t like it. There was something wrong with her, a sense of instability that Lena normally associated with her aunt. That raised red flags.

“I’m serious, though, Webby,” Lena said. “Don’t go near her.”

“We probably won’t see her again,” Webby said, though she sounded uncertain. Lena surprised her with a tight hug. She didn’t want to worry her overmuch by divulging her fears, but she would be keeping a closer eye on her best friend. Sometimes, Webby was too naive for her own good.

“Why were you staring at her for so long?” Violet queried.

“I feel like I’ve seen her before,” Webby admitted. “Oh, that reminds me! I need to show you something on my board!”

“Oh, no. Not another one. Pink, not everything is a giant conspiracy theory,” Lena said and rolled her eyes.

Webby puffed out her cheeks in that way that Lena found adorable (then again, she found everything about Webby adorable--she was prejudiced). Then, without a word, she rushed to her bike and Lena and Violet grabbed theirs. As they pedaled, Webby explained about what she’d found in her grandmother’s room. Apparently, she couldn’t wait until they reached the mansion.

“The Bugmaster?” Lena repeated. “What a lame name for a supervillain. Sounds like something you’d take a fly swatter to.”

“But why was it in Granny’s file? And buried so far back?” Webby asked. “Why should she have something that’s from after she retired?”

“You could simply ask her,” Violet said and Lena and Webby scoffed.

“No way Abbey Road would let spill something that juicy,” Lena scoffed.

“Then I’d have to admit that I’ve been sneaking into her room,” Webby protested.

“Besides, she probably doesn’t know it’s missing,” Lena continued. “What she doesn’t know can’t hurt her.”

Then again, that maxim didn’t always hold true, especially when it came to Magica de Spell. Lena shuddered, chilled from within. They stopped at a light and Webby squeezed Lena’s hand. Lena smiled at her. Webby was so good, kind, and compassionate. Lena would protect her from the world if she had to. She meant everything to her.

“I find that the opposite is generally true,” Violet said, missing the moment between Webby and Lena or else choosing not to comment on it. 

“You think Granny has anything else hidden in her room?” Webby asked brightly.

Lena grinned. “There’s only one way to find out.”

“I thought we had already discussed not breaking and entering again!” Violet said, exasperated.

“Maybe you did, but I didn’t,” Lena retorted and grinned at her too. “Let the good times roll.”

“I must register my objection to this plan,” Violet said.

“Go ahead, nerd,” Lena said, rolling her eyes. “But we’re doing it anyway.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mrs. Beakley confronts Webby about the Bugmaster, Webby decides to research her anyway, and the Bugmaster spins a web to ensnare Webby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm always posting a chapter behind where I am on LJ, I feel like. But you wouldn't like two chapters in one day, would you? XD

As it turned out, they hadn’t needed to visit Mrs. Beakley’s bedroom. As soon as Webby got home, her grandmother was waiting for her. She inclined her head toward Violet and Lena, but her gaze was hooked onto her granddaughter. Webby smiled sheepishly. She should’ve known that her grandmother was on top of things. She wouldn’t have made a good SHUSH agent if she hadn’t been.

“Lena, Violet,” Mrs. Beakley said. “It’s good to see you.”

She turned to Webby. “Why were you poking about in the Agent 22 files, Webby?”

“I just wanted to reread a couple,” Webby said and beside her, Lena facepalmed. In an undertone, Lena said, “You stink at lying, pink.”

“Then why are two items missing from my collection?” Mrs. Beakley said, ignoring Lena’s comment. “You know which ones I mean. They’re on your conspiracy board.”

“I told you that you shouldn’t have been snooping around,” Violet began and Lena elbowed her. It didn’t matter, anyway. Webby should’ve realized it was only a matter of time before her grandmother discovered that too.

“Uh, heh, yeah,” Webby said, chagrined. “About that. I was hoping you might tell me more about the Bugmaster and why that file was so incomplete.”

It was a long shot and maybe, in a different mood, or if it had been a different villain, her grandmother might have relented. As it was, her beak pressed into a tight line and she stiffened, glaring at Webby. Webby took a step back, not expecting this. That was the second time an adult had glared at her today. 

“You shouldn’t have been ‘snooping’, as Violet put it,” Mrs. Beakley said. “I will not tell you more about the Bugmaster. Suffice it to say, she is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. That is all you need to know.”

“I’m sorry, Granny...but why is she in your files if it’s been that long? All of your other files are to do with your tenure at SHUSH,” Webby said and Mrs. Beakley’s eyes flashed. Lena and Violet took a step closer to her.

“The Bugmaster also has to do with my time at SHUSH. I will not tell you again to leave the matter alone, Webbigail. She is none of your concern. As I said, she is dangerous.”

Webby swallowed back her natural curiosity and waited for her grandmother to soften, tell them to run along, and reassure her. That didn’t happen. Something about the Bugmaster had her grandmother up in arms and Webby had no idea what. The worst part was that it only made Webby want to learn more. No other FOWL villain had produced such an effect. Yes, the Bugmaster sounded formidable, from what little Webby had gleaned from that report, but it only whetted her appetite. She’d be careful. Wasn’t she usually?

“I won’t tell you again,” her grandmother warned. “Leave this alone. This is not like Della’s disappearance or any number of mysteries you’ve investigated in the past. 

“I’ve taken the folder and the picture back. You are not to trespass in my room again. Are we clear?” 

Webby nodded, a sinking feeling in her stomach. “Yes, Granny.”

“I’m sorry to be so harsh on you,” she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Especially without explaining why. But under no circumstances are you to research the Bugmaster. Now, I’ve prepared some cookies, if you and your friends would like them.”

“No, thank you,” Webby said politely and she and the girls trooped back up to her bedroom. True to her word, the conspiracy board had been denuded. It was disappointing but ultimately unsurprising. 

Lena flopped onto the floor. “You’re totally gonna research the Bugmaster, aren’t you?”

“I do not think it would be wise, given your grandmother’s behavior,” Violet cautioned.

Webby pulled out her phone and the picture that she’d taken of the conspiracy board before her grandmother had stripped it bare. She enlarged the images to show her friends and Lena frowned, snagging the phone away from her. Webby frowned too. Lena had the air of putting two and two together.

“I’ve seen that face before. A little older, maybe, but I’ve definitely seen her. Just not in that stupid bug costume,” Lena said.

“What? Where?” Webby said.

“I believe she was in the park, watching us,” Violet said, likewise scrutinizing the picture.

“And that’s the same woman who was watching us in the library,” Lena said.

“You didn’t tell me that you were being watched in the library,” Webby protested.

“It didn’t seem important,” Lena said. “There’s something about that woman that’s so familiar, besides the fact that she’s clearly stalking us.”

“I don’t know about that,” Webby said. “She could’ve just happened to be at the park at the same time that we were. And the same goes for the library when you and Violet went.”

“Pink, once is a coincidence. Twice is a pattern,” Lena said.

“But why would the Bugmaster have an interest in you guys or me?” Webby said. “She seemed like she hated me in particular. She wouldn’t be stalking us.”

“I love you, Webby,” Lena said, exasperated. “But you don’t think like a villain.”

“Something for which we should be profoundly grateful,” Violet said, shooting Lena a warning look that she ignored.

“She clearly wants something from you,” Lena said, folding her arms across her chest. “I hate to say this, but we probably should tell your grandmother.”

“I can handle it,” Webby said. “I’ve taken on adults before and won. I mean, I beat Black Heron.”

Lena looked uncertain. 

“I beat Magica de Spell,” she added. “Well, we beat her. Together.”

“This feels different, somehow,” Lena said, shaking her head. “Granted, Aunt Magica would’ve killed everyone if she had the chance. She wouldn’t have exactly hesitated to strike you down, especially considering how much you mean to me.”

“Aw,” Webby said and wrapped an arm about Lena. “You mean a lot to me too.”

Lena blushed. “Not what I meant, but thanks. Anyway, if she’s not made a move on you yet, then there’s a reason. Aunt Magica doesn’t plan long term unless she absolutely has to. Black Heron planned long term against your grandmother, not you. You were a sudden complication. But if I’m right, then the Bugmaster has been keeping tabs on you for a while. That means long-term planning.”

“That means,” Violet added, looking uneasy, “that she may be plotting something.”

Webby shook her head. Her stomach roiled. “I still think she happened to be at the park. It wasn’t on purpose. And even if she was watching you guys yesterday, it might’ve been a one-off.”

Lena put her hands on her best friend’s shoulders. “Pink, if the Bugmaster really is after you, no force in the world is gonna keep me from protecting you.”

“I can protect myself,” Webby pointed out. She smiled to take the sting out of her words. “But I appreciate it.”

Lena swallowed hard. “There are villains who won’t hesitate to hurt anyone who gets in their way. Aunt Magica is one of them. So is Flintheart Glomgold. The Bugmaster might be another. If she tries to hurt you, she’ll be sorry.”

“Is it me, or did the mood in this room suddenly turn ominous?” Violet said and Lena smiled humorlessly.

“Just stating a fact, Vi,” Lena said. “No matter what you think, pink, I’m suspicious. If that woman hated you without knowing you, then she must know something _about_ you. I don’t think it’s that she hates everyone anymore.”

“What could make someone hate me?” Webby mused. 

Lena hugged her tightly, fiercely. Her best friend was shaking, which scared her more than her words had. She hugged her back.

“Beyond what made Aunt Magica hate you? I don’t know. But I intend to find out.”

* * *

Bentina Beakley sat and stared at her daughter’s only picture. She had sworn she would never bring another photograph into the house; she didn’t want Webby to know anything about her parents. Bianca Beakley and Webby’s father, who Mrs. Beakley only knew he was a FOWL lackey, had no right to know anything about Webby. That was why she’d kept her safe and hidden within McDuck Manor. 

She couldn’t rescind that freedom now, although she was troubled by Webby’s sudden discovery. The last thing her granddaughter needed to do was track down the Bugmaster and place herself squarely within FOWL’s bullseye. As far as she knew, FOWL remained inactive. As long as that was the case, she didn’t need to worry. 

And besides, Bianca had shown that she had no maternal instincts. She had dumped Webby’s egg on her mother’s doorstep and then commanded her never to talk to her again. Mrs. Beakley sighed. All of her memories of her daughter, before she’d turned evil, were bittersweet. 

Bianca had always craved attention, even at an early age. She’d wanted to feel special and noteworthy. Bentina should have seen the signs right away, but she’d chosen to ignore them in the hopes that she could rectify her bad behavior. Instead, she’d rotted to the core. Mrs. Beakley didn’t blame herself; Bianca was a bad egg and she’d done everything she could to fix it.

What worried her was if Bianca took a sudden interest in Webby. It wouldn’t be because she wanted to get to know her. It would be because she wanted to pull one over on SHUSH or because she wanted to stick it to her mother. Webby would become a tool for the highest bidder. Webby believed in the intrinsic goodness of people; she’d never see the betrayal coming. 

Before her fallout with her daughter, Bianca had been aloof and condescending. She’d never had an interest in SHUSH because spies tended to be covert. She wanted to be known, notorious. Her journalism career was not kicking off the way she’d hoped and she was getting increasingly desperate for fame and glory. It had been a source of contention between Bianca and Bentina. Bentina thought her daughter was putting too much emphasis on fame and fortune when she ought to be worried about covering the news with a fair and impartial eye. Unfortunately, Bianca didn’t see it that way. She didn’t care if the news was accurate, only if it was salacious.

She hadn’t spoken to her since she’d dropped her egg off on Bentina’s doorstep. She hadn’t seen her since then, either. Moreover, she had no reason to believe that Bianca had any interest in her or Webby. As far as Bentina knew, she’d written off her whole family by switching her allegiance to FOWL. She’d never been particularly compassionate even before she’d dabbled in villainy. 

Still, with FOWL inactive and her daughter nowhere to be seen, she shouldn’t be worrying about her finding the file now. It was vexing, but it wasn’t an immediate concern. It would lead to questions down the line, she was sure, unless she made Webby well aware of the danger in asking too much. She thought that she had, but one could never be too sure.

* * *

Bianca was bored out of her skull. Black Heron and Steelbeak were out on a stupid mission or recon for FOWL and she was supposed to stand by and check into the Duck family computer activity. So far, it’d been tedious. The only thing of interest was Louie’s scheming, but she didn’t care enough to remark upon it to the higher-ups. It was all petty, anyway. 

Instead, she let her mind drift. She wanted to break Webby in a specific way so that she’d be constantly reminded of her inferiority compared to her mother. Maiming her would work. FOWL had the technology to replace missing limbs, though she wasn’t so certain about eyes. Being blind in one eye would give Webby a handicap, sure, but she also didn’t want a crippled daughter. It didn’t reflect well on her and anyway, disfigurement was disgusting unless it served a higher purpose.

She’d have to look into cybernetic implants before she blinded Webby. She didn’t want it to be for nothing, after all.

Someone else might call her callous and cruel for even considering this. Her mother certainly would. Bianca snorted. Her mother had coddled the child and this was the result. Bianca would rectify that error.

Bianca thought back to what Lena de Spell (if anyone honestly thought she considered her a Sabrewing, just because the Sabrewings had adopted her, they were sadly mistaken) had done during the Moonvasion. She didn’t know how powerful the shadow child was and whether she would be formidable. She knew that she’d try to protect Webby, misguided though the attempt would be. 

Frowning, she made a mental list of Webby’s potential guardians. First and foremost was her mother and Bianca pulled a face. Then she included Lena, Violet, and the boys. The boys would fail miserably, of course, but she knew that Webby and Dewey were close. Della Duck should probably be included in that, as well as Scrooge McDuck, for that whole bizarre family set-up. Hmm.

Ordinarily, she would have written Della off, but Della had proven herself to be more than her disability. She was dangerous in her own right and Bianca, unfortunately, knew a thing or two about being caught off guard after having underestimated someone. Of actual potential opponents, she decided the list should just be Della, Lena, her mother, and Scrooge. Of those, Lena and Scrooge were of unknown strength. Growing up, she’d spent time around Scrooge McDuck, but she didn’t know his capabilities now. As for Lena, she knew she had some magic, but not how much.

If she wanted to know, she supposed she could ask Magica de Spell, since Lena had her powers. However, she didn’t feel like dealing with that witch. She’d take her chances.

Therefore, she’d have to figure out a way to destroy Webby’s protectors or catch them off guard. She stroked her chin thoughtfully. The problem was that the four of them had disparate interests. A burglary at the Money Bin would catch Scrooge’s and possibly Della’s attention, but her mother would know it for a diversion, and Lena wouldn’t leave Webby’s side long enough to check. 

Plus, striking out that blatantly would bring high command down on her head. She’d have to find a way to abduct Webby without being obvious about it.

Perhaps if she lured Webby out with a mystery that she couldn’t resist. The children wandered about Duckburg on their own, which meant that she’d only have to deal with Lena, Violet, and the boys. That, she thought, was good enough for her.

Something about Agent 22’s past ought to be a sufficient temptation and heaven knew she knew enough about her mother’s exploits to fill a book.

The timing also had to be perfect. And...what was this? Webby was researching the Bugmaster on her laptop. Bianca grinned. So, her usually circumspect mother had let something slip. She would be willing to bet she’d told her nothing about her parents. That, then, would be the perfect bit to dangle.

Quickly, she encoded her work and established a VPN. Then, her mind racing, she sent Webby a message. 

“Meet me at the park in three days, at noon on the dot. I know something about the Bugmaster that you might find interesting.” 

She grinned, signing it “B.B”. Now, it was time to see if her hook snagged a bite.

* * *

“It’s obviously a trap,” Violet said. “How would this ‘B.B.’ know your internet search history?”

“I told you to use a VPN,” Louie said, still not looking up from his phone. He was down in this current scheme and it was driving him crazy. He didn’t have extra attention to dedicate to Webby’s internet behavior. “Webbigail, a wise man once said--’if you are searching for sensitive information, you should always encrypt your data’.”

“You think someone’s hacking her account?” Lena said. They were all clustered in Webby’s bedroom, albeit the lower portion, which also served as a repository for all of her books and assorted magical artifacts.

“I know someone is. How else would they know what she’s researching?” Louie pointed out. He sighed, reluctantly putting the phone down. This situation wasn’t going to improve by prodding at it. If anything, it threatened to get worse with further intervention. It was time to see if the scheme could proceed by itself. If not, he’d have to call it quits tomorrow.

“So you don’t think I should go,” Webby said and wilted. He sprang up from the floor and put a hand on her shoulder.

“I think you should explore whatever weird connections you want, but I gotta agree with Violet. This is clearly a trap,” Louie said.

“Ha. It’s not a trap if you go into it willingly, is it?” Webby said.

“We don’t know who this ‘B.B’ is or what she wants,” Lena said. “Think about it for a second, pink. This could be dangerous.”

“So we take an adult with us,” Webby said. 

“But who...who would go along with this without ratting us out to Mrs. Beakley…” Louie wondered aloud.

“Maybe Della?” Lena suggested.

“Mom could do it, yeah,” Louie said, though he was uncertain. He was still wary of his mother, even after all of this time. “I mean, unless you _want_ Mrs. B to know about this?”

“No, absolutely not,” Webby said. “We can handle it on our own, right, guys?”

“Hmm, maybe,” Louie said. “But you might wanna bring back-up, just in case.”

“In case of what?” Webby demanded. Louie met Lena’s gaze.

“She knows,” Louie said and Lena nodded. Sometimes, it felt like he had a kinship with Lena, simply because they thought on similar wavelengths. They also distrusted people and felt strongly about Webby, although Louie’s feelings paled in comparison to Lena’s.

“So, we all go,” Webby said. “It’s a public place. It’s not like anything is going to happen right under our beaks.”

“You’d think that, wouldn’t you…” Louie said, frowning thoughtfully. “You’d certainly think that.”

If it turned out that was the case, Louie wanted to be the first on hand with pepper spray and a quick escape route. It didn’t matter if Webby believed the best in people; Louie tended to assume the worst. In this case, he suspected that he was right.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm working on Fear of the Dark, I promise. XD 
> 
> Also, this fic is actually almost finished on LJ. One more chapter or two, I think, ought to do it. So...three chapters left?

Maybe Lena was being paranoid, but she didn’t think so. Over the next three days, she searched out whatever she could find regarding the Bugmaster, this time running a VPN so that her activities were undetectable. Louie had helped her set it up on her phone and what she’d located wasn’t encouraging. It seemed that the Bugmaster had had one major crime spree a year before Webby was born and then seemingly vanished into thin air. She’d attempted to kill a fledgling superhero, his sidekick, and their daughter. When the superhero had thwarted her, she’d disappeared. 

None of that explained why Mrs. Beakley would have had her file or picture. By all accounts, the Bugmaster was a minor criminal compared to Scrooge’s rogue gallery. She was even less significant than the Beagle Boys, who might’ve bungled everything they ever touched, but remained prominent. Moreover, although it was possible the Bugmaster worked for FOWL, there was no proof. And even if she had, it was after Mrs. Beakley had retired. 

Lena was positive that the woman in the park and library was the Bugmaster. What she couldn’t understand was her interest in Webby and her friends. Then again, she couldn’t account for Mrs. Beakley’s interest in the Bugmaster, either. They were missing a puzzle piece.

Whatever was going on, it stank to the high heavens. She didn’t want Webby to meet this woman at the park, but she knew better than to dissuade her. Instead, she’d enlisted Della and the quartet waited a few minutes before noon for the woman to materialize. When she did, she looked displeased. A frown creased her brow and her beak was crinkled up as if she’d smelled something distasteful.

They were under the picnic table awning and Webby, before Lena had a chance to caution her against her, darted forward. Violet, Lena, and Della came up behind her. The Bugmaster’s expression was strange as she beheld Webby. There was a calculating look in her eyes that Lena did not like. Lena scowled back, putting a protective hand on her best friend’s shoulder. 

The Bugmaster’s eyes narrowed upon spying Della and she glowered at Della.

“I should have been more specific,” the woman snapped. “No adults.”

“Why not?” Della said, folding her arms across her chest. “It makes perfect sense. This looked like a trap, so the kids brought me along as insurance.”

“I won’t talk to you until she’s gone,” the Bugmaster said and Lena’s eyes flashed. 

“Then I guess you’re not talking to us,” Lena spat. “Come on, pink. Let’s go.”

“Wait,” Webby pleaded.

“ _No_ ,” Lena growled. “Why would a washed-up villain want to talk to you alone if she wasn’t up to something?”

“I’m not washed up,” the Bugmaster bristled. “I have information for you, but I will not tell you until _she_ \--” she shot Della a nasty look--”is gone.”

“I’m not leaving,” Della said, and then, to the Bugmaster’s irritation, she plopped across the picnic table from her. She folded her arms across her chest and Lena smirked, sitting at Della’s left side. She liked Della, now that she wasn’t in the house anymore or Webby’s shadow. Della tried hard and she cared about the kids. She might not have been a good mother for the first decade of the boys’ lives, but she was working hard to compensate for it.

The Bugmaster’s eyes flashed. “This wasn’t part of the agreement.”

“You didn’t agree to anything,” Lena shot back. “You should’ve been more specific if you didn’t want her coming along.”

Webby sat on Lena’s left side and Violet joined them, sandwiching Webby on her left side. Lena’s fists glowed beneath the table. Any sudden moves and she would be all over this washed-up villain. Say what the Bugmaster might, she hadn’t pulled any capers in over a decade.

The Bugmaster’s gaze linked onto Webby and the avarice and hunger there made Lena’s balled fists tighten. _Why_ was she looking at Webby like that? How dare she. How dare she look at her...the way Aunt Magica had looked at Lena. Lena bolted to her feet and tried to suppress the magic coursing through her body. She glowed and she admitted privately that she hadn’t been trying terribly hard to suppress her magic.

“We’re going, pink,” Lena said flatly. “I don’t like the way this woman is looking at you.”

“What do you know about my granny?” Webby demanded, ignoring Lena. Lena bristled. Was Webby going to walk straight into danger? Did she think that she was protected regardless of what happened? 

“What makes you think I know your grandmother?” the woman said and Lena growled. Her body language indicated that she was toying with Webby now. Lena glanced at Della, whose eyes had narrowed back at the Bugmaster in suspicion.

“I know you,” Della said.

“Oh?” the woman rejoined. 

“It’ll take me a minute, but I know you,” Della said. “We’ve met before.”

“Have we?” 

It wasn’t Lena’s imagination. The woman was enjoying playing with them. She glanced at Violet, whose beak was clenched tight. If her sister was getting bad vibes off the Bugmaster, then it was both reassuring and deeply disturbing. Violet had been overprotected almost as badly as Webby. If she was scenting danger, then this was ominous.

“I’ll give you a minute,” the woman sneered. “After all, I’m sure crashing on the moon and surviving on such thin oxygen probably addled what’s left of your brains.”

Della bristled. “I know that sanctimonious attitude, too.”

“Do you?” the woman countered. “Then tell me, Della Duck. Who am I?”

She snapped her fingers and Eggheads appeared out of nowhere. Lena frowned; she knew that Eggheads worked with FOWL, but only because she too had searched through Mrs. Beakley’s reports. Lena grabbed Webby’s arm while Della, frowning, scrutinized the Bugmaster. 

“Bianca?” Della said at last, incredulous. “It can’t be.”

The Eggheads, at a silent signal from the Bugmaster, crept closer. Webby assumed an offensive position, Lena readied her magic, and Violet watched, holding out her hands for Lena to conjure up a weapon. Lena did so, but she didn’t take her eyes off the Bugmaster. 

“I knew you’d get it eventually,” the Bugmaster sneered. “If you know who I am, then you know who I’m here for.”

To Webby’s consternation, Della thrust her behind her. Lena still didn’t know exactly what was going on, but if Della felt the need to protect Webby, then she needed to intervene. Lena’s fists glowed and she flanked Della. 

“I don’t know that,” Della said and the Bugmaster laughed.

“You always were dense,” she scoffed. “You know my last name, Dumbella.”

Whatever the reason, Della hadn’t assembled the puzzle yet. She knew enough to be wary, but not enough to figure out why, exactly, Webby was in danger. Della trembled; Lena bet she didn’t like being called Dumbella. 

“I’ve come for my daughter,” the Bugmaster said. “Webbigail Vanderquack is _mine_ and I’m reclaiming her.”

“What?” Webby said faintly.

Della glanced from Webby to Bianca and back. Her fists balled too. “Over my dead body.”

“That can be arranged,” the Bugmaster sneered. “Eggheads--attack.”

Lena barely had to switch gears before assuming an offensive stance. The same was true for Webby. Though the Eggheads were armed, they were bumbling idiots. It didn’t take much effort for Lena to knock three out. Unfortunately, the Eggheads weren’t the true enemy here, but a diversion. The true enemy was Bianca Beakley, a.k.a. the Bugmaster. Lena understood, with painful clarity, why Mrs. Beakley would’ve kept her file and picture. It was all she had of her daughter.

She also understood why Mrs. Beakley had been so adamant about not letting Webby get in contact with her. Of course, if she’d said that to begin with, maybe they wouldn’t be in this mess. Lena growled and then halted; the Bugmaster had a gun to Webby’s head. All fighting ceased.

“Is that really necessary?” Violet said and only someone close to her would’ve recognized the anxiety in her tone. 

“It is if I don’t want any of you to follow me,” Bianca sneered. She dug the pistol into Webby’s temple. Webby remained like a coil, ready to spring. The gun left a bruise on her temple that incensed Lena. She knew the woman wouldn’t shoot Webby, deep down, but apparently, that left everything else on the table. 

“Because, you know, Scrooge won’t call the cops if you kidnap her,” Lena said, rolling her eyes. She was disgusted. She shouldn’t have expected anything different and yet, she was still disappointed. No wonder she’d wanted to only meet with Webby--it would’ve been a clean getaway.

“How can I be her kidnapper?” the Bugmaster scoffed. “I’m her mother.”

Lena wasn’t certain whether Webby hadn’t been trained to fight against guns, was wary of making a move that could call her bluff, or was too flummoxed to move. Webby tended to believe the best in people unless proven otherwise, though it was increasingly difficult to argue that this woman had any good in her at all. Lena had a difficult time understanding how someone this cruel and calculating could be Mrs. Beakley’s offspring. With Webby and her grandmother, she could see a few of the tendencies, like the people-pleasing and, of course, their combat styles. They also both cared about people, but Mrs. Beakley would never have been as trusting as Webby was. She’d trained her not to be, which was a fallacy she should’ve corrected.

It probably wouldn’t have mattered, if she’d kept Webby cooped up in the house for the rest of her life. But that was unrealistic and besides, she hadn’t had any reason to think that the Bugmaster would resurface. However, if the Bugmaster was active, then that meant…

The Bugmaster snorted at Lena’s dawning comprehension.

“Yes, shadow child,” the Bugmaster sneered. “Lena de Spell.”

“Lena Sabrewing,” Lena snapped, hating the feel of her old name. It was like being shoved into a straitjacket and flung into a padded cell. Violet put a warm hand on her arm. The gesture was reassuring. 

“Why are you doing this?” Webby demanded. “I’m not going anywhere with you unless you leave my friends and family alone.”

The Bugmaster’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Della is not your family. I am.”

“Then where have you been the last decade? Oh, right, in hiding,” Lena snapped. Adrenaline coursed through her, most of it directed toward Webby. It felt like this woman might not shoot to kill her daughter, but she might harm her in some other way. Aunt Magica might’ve been savage when it came to the idea of reclaiming her powers, but Lena could be equally savage at the thought of someone harming her Webby. 

“I may not be her biological mother,” Della snapped. “But I’m also not the one holding a gun to her head.”

In a smooth motion, Bianca stowed the gun. “Very well. I’ll call off the Eggheads, too, but I will only speak with Webbigail. No one else.”

“I don’t see that happening,” Violet said and brandished the mace that Lena had conjured for her. “You will let Webbigail go this instant.”

“Will I?” Bianca said and smiled cryptically. “Oh, I don’t know. I’ll have to think about that first.”

A smoke bomb crashed between them and Lena cursed, thinking of her aunt. It looked like Bianca had taken a page out of her book. A very irritating one. Webby’s yelp was cut off and Lena charged through the smoke, heedless of any danger to herself. 

“Webby!” she screamed and then dissolved into coughs. Generating giant magical wings, Lena blew the smoke away. By that time, both the Eggheads and the Bugmaster, along with Webby, were gone. Lena screamed, ignoring any errant smoke. 

“Where would they go?” Violet asked, turning to Della.

“Where is FOWL located?” Lena added.

“I didn’t even know FOWL was active until five minutes ago,” Della protested. She cursed under her breath. “We need to find Webby. Bianca was never a patient woman, especially not when it came to children. She always struck me as the type of person who never should’ve had kids.”

“Then there’s a problem, isn’t there?” Lena snapped, worry tightening her chest. 

“We’ll find her,” Della said. “Uncle Scrooge will find her if nothing else.”

Lena scoffed. Scrooge hadn’t found Della on the moon in the decade she’d been there, he hadn’t noticed FOWL operating right under his beak, and he hadn’t known that any number of other strange occurrences could be chalked up to criminal activity. His naivete competed with Webby’s right now and she had no conviction in him. This might’ve been leftover sentiment from sharing thoughts with Magica de Spell, but Lena didn’t think so. 

Whatever was going on, Lena was worried now, deeply concerned about Webby’s welfare. Unless someone stepped in or Webby overcame her convictions that people always have good in them, she was going to get hurt. 

* * *

She’d needed to knock her out. Thankfully, she’d been prepared. Bianca scrutinized her unconscious daughter. Unconscious, Webby looked even younger than she had before and Bianca sneered. They’d reached HQ without incident and Bianca had brought Webby to her quarters. Now that she was bound, she slapped her hard to wake her. Webby stirred slowly, too slowly for Bianca’s patience to endure. 

She slapped her harder and Webby’s eyes flew open. It was good for her that she had roused because Bianca didn’t mind hitting her again. 

The situation dawned on Webby at once and she shifted backward on the bed. Before speaking, she assessed her surroundings, her bindings, and the woman studying her. Webby’s beak stiffened.

“What did you do with my friends?” she demanded.

“Your friends are fine, so long as they don’t look for you,” Bianca scoffed. “However, I don’t think they’ll leave well enough alone.”

Webby struggled, perhaps wishing to touch her wounded cheek, but as her hands were tied behind her back, she couldn’t reach. Bianca saw her gaze rove along the bookshelves, filled with books regarding martial arts and also, weapons on display. A few of the Bugmaster’s old gadgets, the ones that still worked, were also on display. The jetpack she’d created had come in handy earlier. 

When tying her up, she’d been careful to do it tightly enough to cut off Webby’s blood circulation at her wrists and ankles. 

“Why?” Webby demanded, volumes contained in that word. “Why kidnap me? Why do this? Why did you leave me with my granny? Granny told me that you and my father died in a SHUSH mission gone wrong.”

Bianca laughed. “That’s not what happened. Your grandmother wanted to train me in SHUSH matters, but I had no patience for that. I forged my own path. 

“I bet your grandmother tried to protect you from everything, especially me,” Bianca said and laughed again. “She probably thought she was doing you a favor.”

She knew that Webby was struggling against her intrinsic good nature. Bianca stroked her hair, mostly to manipulate her into wondering whether her mother might have changed her mind. She hadn’t, but it didn’t hurt to toy with her.

“Why kidnap me?” Webby repeated. “I would’ve gone with you willingly.”

“But your friends wouldn’t have let you,” Bianca scoffed. “They would have wanted to protect you, especially from the likes of me. I can’t say that their impression of me has improved since I held you at gunpoint.”

“Why did you do that?”

“To keep anyone from taking you from me,” she said and then smiled coldly. “Your friends and Della think I’m only the Bugmaster, that I can’t possibly have reconsidered and might want you in my life now.”

She would undo Webby’s restraints too...once she knew the girl wouldn’t fight her. In the meanwhile, a little discomfort would go a long way.

Webby shook her head. “You could’ve told Granny. Or done anything else.”

”Your grandmother wouldn’t have let me within ten feet of you, Webbigail,” she said softly and pulled her into a tight hug. As she did, she checked the bindings. Good. Nice and tight. 

She knew she was struggling between her words and actions. Just a minute more, then she’d release her to show her goodwill. 

Bianca suppressed a smirk. Lena had been right to defend Webby from her. Naive child.

“If you want me, then why am I tied up?” 

“Oh, that? That was to convince the Eggheads that I wasn’t about to let you run amuck,” she lied. “I can release you now, as long as you promise not to run.”

She spoke in a mild, soothing tone. Contrary to what Della might’ve thought, she knew how to handle children. Or, to put it more accurately, knew something about handling and manipulating children. The two things weren’t quite the same.

Besides, Webby wouldn’t be running for at least five minutes until the blood came back to her legs. 

Webby nodded and she undid the bindings. To show her goodwill further, she massaged her daughter’s wrists and ankles, to restore the blood flow. Also, to inflict more pain under the guise of nervousness.

Webby looked up at her and Bianca studied her. She’d located cybernetic implants in FOWL’s vault and had learned how to install them. Without an eye, Webby would lose her depth perception, which would be a sufficient handicap to start with.

That would have to wait until later. She wanted to establish trust first before betraying her. If she moved too quickly, Webby would grow suspicious and seek out help. Not that Bianca intended to let her get that far—she’d stolen and broken Webby’s phone, but not before reading her messages and looking at her pictures. The boys would almost certainly be looking for her, along with her friends, Della, and Scrooge. Thankfully for Bianca, FOWL’s HQ was undetectable by fools, save for that unfortunate escapade with Launchpad.

“Why would you work for FOWL?” Webby asked, massaging feeling back into her joints still.

“I know you probably haven’t seen much action since my mother has kept you under lock and key, but SHUSH has a great many incompetent agents,” Bianca scoffed. “My mother might have been better than most, but on the whole, SHUSH agents have an alarming fatality rate.”

She pulled her up against her as if she wanted to hug her. As if touching her didn’t make her skin crawl. Webby was, from everything she’d seen and heard, very touch-oriented. She’d also never been abused, which meant any attacks would send up red flags. Then again, you didn’t need to physically hurt someone to harm them.

“You could’ve told me this without kidnapping me.”

Stubborn. It was a family trait. A very vexing one right now.

“I could have,” she agreed, taking Webby aback. “But, as I said, your friends don’t trust me. And I wanted to have alone time with you. I need to make up for over a decade of not being there, don’t I?”

“How does Della know you?” 

“We’re of an age,” Bianca said and shrugged. “I wasn’t particularly close to the Duck family, but I know them.”

“But Della doesn’t trust you either…” she faltered. “And she would’ve known you for longer.”

“Della doesn’t understand that things change,” she lied smoothly. “She of all people should understand the importance of family. And how much it hurts to be separated from them.”

Webby was watching her avidly and Bianca concealed a smirk. There. She was eating out of the palm of her hand. Now all she needed to do was keep the momentum going.

“Would you like a tour? I can’t take you everywhere—even I don’t have clearance for everything—but I can show you where I live.”

“I need to tell the others where I am,” Webby protested and Bianca swallowed back anger.

“I’ll send them a message while I’m showing you around,” Bianca lied. “Don’t worry. I’ll clear this all up.”

Webby looked suspicious, but she nodded. Again, she concealed a smirk. Victory, at least for now. She’d still have to keep twisting her around her finger, but the groundwork was established. She stroked Webby’s hair again and then kissed her on the head as if she couldn’t stop herself. As if she _wanted_ to touch the disgusting brat. 

Wasn’t it a shame that her friends had the right of it? Too bad they wouldn’t see Webby again until it was too late to stop Bianca’s plans from reaching fruition.

* * *

Lena had never seen Mrs. Beakley so angry before. She’d been irritated with Lena in the subway station, but that was nothing compared to this. Behind the fury was anxiety. She knew what her daughter was capable of.

“She had the GPS on her phone on, but it blinked out after she left the park,” Gyro told them. They were standing in McDuck Laboratories. The boys had joined them and Dewey’s beak was tight. Of all of them, however, Lena suspected she was the only one who might know the depths to which Bianca might go. Well, she and Mrs. Beakley. Mrs. Beakley had personal experience with Bianca...and Lena knew someone like her.

Bianca had power over her daughter. To make matters worse, Webby wanted to trust her, which she would use to her advantage. She wanted to believe she was wanted and loved, like any child, not realizing that her mother didn’t care one whit for her.

Unlike Webby, Lena didn’t believe Bianca had any good in her. She knew the type all too well. Nothing good would come of this.

She hoped that Webby didn’t learn the hard way. 


	5. Chapter 5

Webby would make a useful tool, both to punish her mother for raising such a weak child, and to indoctrinate her into FOWL. She wouldn’t want her in FOWL permanently, but as an experiment, she’d be interesting. Unfortunately, the latter might not go off as planned. Ten minutes had passed since Webby was ambulatory again and she was growing suspicious, especially when she couldn’t find her cell phone.

“I told you,” Bianca said, growing testy. “They know that you’re safe.”

“I need to talk to Lena,” Webby said and shook her head. “She’ll be worried. So will Granny. They’ll want to hear from me directly.”

Bianca grimaced. Of course, they would. Besides, Bianca hadn’t contacted anyone regarding Webby’s whereabouts and she hadn’t intended to. Webby was hers to do with whatever she willed. Her having free will was starting to grate.

“You can talk to them later,” Bianca said. Webby halted in the middle of the hallway.

“No,” she said. “I need to talk to them now.”

The hallway was narrow enough without Webby obstructing it. Eggheads squeezed past the petulant child and Bianca wondered if she should’ve hit her harder earlier. 

“No, you don’t,” Bianca replied. 

“What did you do with my cell phone?” Webby asked and her tone was low, suspicious. “I know I had it at the park and it was secure in my pocket.”

Damn. She hadn’t wanted to play her hand so soon. Bianca forced a smile and went to touch Webby’s cheek. Webby stepped out of reach and Bianca growled. 

“You believe the best in everyone, don’t you? There’s good in everyone, isn’t there?” Bianca said, throttling her temper. “I’m your mother. Surely, you must believe that what I’m doing, I’m doing with your best interests at heart.”

Webby faltered and then shook her head. “If you had my best interests at heart, you’d let me talk to Granny and Lena.”

“I told you--they wouldn’t understand. They would want you to come home. They don’t trust me.”

“And Della doesn’t either,” Webby said flatly as if Dumbella were the authority on everything. Had Webby grown up hero-worshipping the Duck family? Bianca’s beak curled and her eyes flashed. If she pushed Webby too hard now, she’d lose her. But she absolutely could not let her contact anyone. They would have tracking devices and would take her away from her before Bianca had accomplished her goals. 

“They don’t understand that people can change,” Bianca said, feeling like the refrain was growing tired and old. “They aren’t willing to give me a chance. But you are, aren’t you? You’re willing to let bygones be bygones. We’re a family, Webbigail. I love you.”

She’d said that many times in her life and had never meant it. Webby frowned and then dashed forward, back into Bianca’s room. Bianca knew, with dread certainty, that she was searching for her cell phone. The time for pretense had ended. Bianca had destroyed all remnants and put them in the incinerator.

“You won’t find it in there,” Bianca said softly, watching Webby tear through her stuff. It didn’t bother her, oddly. She felt the same disconnect from Webby rifling through her belongings as she had when she’d told her that she loved her. Like a light switch, she could turn her emotions off. Once, when she was a child, she’d taken an emotional IQ test and the results called her a sociopath. Needless to say, Bianca had destroyed it before her mother so much as she got a whiff of it. Nonetheless, she thought her mother already knew.

“What did you do with it?” Webby demanded. She spun around and Bianca smiled, watching the reality of the situation dawn on her daughter. She looked like she’d been struck across the face and Bianca’s smile became a cruel grin.

“I destroyed it,” she said softly. “Lena, Violet, Dumbella, and especially my mother won’t be getting ahold of you.”

“So you did kidnap me,” Webby said flatly. “Lena was right about you.”

“Of course she was,” Bianca said and laughed. “She was created by a sociopath. She would know all about our tricks and tools of the trade.”

She advanced on Webby. “Didn’t you wonder why your grandmother never mentioned me? She probably forbade you from researching me, didn’t she? She might have one picture of me, maybe my case file as the Bugmaster, but that’s it. My mother would have erased every sign of my existence.”

It was a relief to speak the truth. 

“I was almost imprisoned for attempted murder,” Bianca said softly. “Thwarted by that stupid brat. I would’ve killed her parents if not for her timely intervention. And no one cares what an orphan has to say.”

Webby was trembling, but she held her ground. 

“She probably told you that I died because she couldn’t bear to face the truth. She failed. That’s why she changed your last name. That’s why she kept you imprisoned in McDuck Manor for almost a decade. That’s why she taught you how to fight and protect yourself,” Bianca said and her grin was a rictus grin now. “All to protect you. From me.”

Bianca advanced and still, Webby held her ground. The light of betrayal was in her eyes and Bianca laughed. 

“I wasn’t lying--I _am_ your mother. And I had enough common decency to leave you with your grandmother instead of doing what I really wanted--to smash your egg to bits. I’ve never liked children. They’ve always been underfoot and obnoxious, demanding love and attention. After that unpleasant incident with that superhero idiot and his wife, I’ve loathed them.

“You are abhorrent to me. You are a reminder of temporary weakness,” she continued. “But, now, you can send a message to your grandmother. She failed at evoking empathy and she failed at protecting you. She really thought she could keep me from you forever?”

Bianca laughed cruelly. “Please. She should’ve taught you to distrust people instead of being so open and trusting. She should have beaten the mercy out of you. But, no, she wasn’t strong enough to do that.”

“Don’t talk about my granny like that,” Webby snapped. “Granny loves me. Granny raised me the best she could...and now I see why she didn’t want me to have anything to do with you.”

Bianca sneered. “Your friend Lena de Spell saw it right away, of course. She knew. That’s why I had to take you away from her. If I hadn’t gotten the drop on her, she would’ve destroyed me for laying a finger on you.”

Webby assumed an offensive stance, ready for a fight. Bianca scoffed.

“Oh, I’m not going to fight you, child,” she said. “But I intend to teach you a lesson about trust that you’ll never forget. Eggheads! Seize her!”

Webby vaulted into action and was a blur. So her mother had taught her properly, then. She ought to know that you should never turn your back on someone in a fight. While Webby moved like a dervish and dispatched three Eggheads by turning them on each other, Bianca zapped her with a new gun of her own invention. It drained people’s energy; she hadn’t brought it with her at the park, as it would’ve been difficult to conceal. Webby crashed to the floor, conscious but limp, and Bianca laughed.

“How could you be like this?” Webby asked and her voice was so soft and hurt. A normal person might have been struck by it. If Webby had had a proper mother, she probably would’ve been injured herself by her tone. Mrs. Beakley, Lena, Violet, and Della would’ve been incensed. Bianca should’ve felt protectiveness over her daughter and a willingness to keep her safe from harm. But Bianca had never felt that way toward anyone, much less her family. As far as she was concerned, her family existed to further her goals or else needed to get out of her way.

“How, my little duckling? You ask how?” Bianca scoffed. “Because, my dear Webbigail, I’m the bad guy.”

The Eggheads scooped Webby up as if she weighed nothing and Bianca scrutinized her. She could throw her to Black Heron, but Webby was her prize, not Heron’s. She stroked the hair back from Webby’s face and Webby looked like she wanted to pull away again. Her beak quivered, but she suppressed her tears. That was good for her because Bianca couldn’t tolerate crying.

“Bring her back to my room and tie her up,” Bianca ordered. “This time, use the gag. I don’t need to hear her blathering on.”

“You won’t get away with this, you know,” Webby said. It was probably meant to sound defiant, but it was sad instead. “The others are looking for me right now.”

“They’ll find you when I want them to find you,” Bianca sneered. “No sooner.”

She slapped Webby hard across the face, simply because she could. Then she hissed. “Damn it. I hate when you hit people and it hurts you. It shouldn’t. Impudent brat.”

Her eyes landed upon Webby’s friendship bracelet. There was something about it that was “off”, but she couldn’t tell what. It appeared to be glowing slightly, but that might’ve been her imagination. Well, whatever it was, it didn’t matter. She was going to get what she wanted. Everything else was insignificant.

* * *

They didn’t have GPS, but they had something arguably better. Webby’s friendship bracelet emitted a strong magical pulse that Lena could track and it couldn’t be turned off like her phone. This time, the whole group traveled on foot and wound up at Funso’s. 

“She’s here?” Louie said, disbelieving.

“She’s below,” Lena said, closing her eyes to concentrate on the magical resonance. “I’m positive.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Dewey said. 

“Feh, this place again,” Scrooge scoffed. Mrs. Beakley was watching Lena closely and, to Lena’s surprise, she put a hand on her shoulder and drew her in for a tight hug.

“Thank you,” she said softly to the teenager. “Thank you for doing this.”

“I love Webby too,” Lena said. “I’m not going to let anything happen to her.”

Her eyes glowed. “And if something has, that woman’s going to be sorry.”

“She has no idea how sorry she’ll be,” Mrs. Beakley said. “Let’s go.”

Lena knew that Mrs. Beakley had to be conflicted--after all, she’d be fighting her daughter to save her granddaughter. Whatever problems she had, however, she kept to herself. Lena focused on the way the other friendship bracelet seemed to pulse in her mind. Everything else was secondary.

_Hold on, pink. We’re coming_.


	6. Chapter 6

Finding their way downstairs would probably have been more difficult if they hadn’t brought Lena along. Then again, if they hadn’t brought her, they wouldn’t have known that Webby was below Funso’s in the first place. Lena forced the elevator up to the ground floor; it’d been concealed behind the kitchen, but Lena’s unerring sense of her best friend had proven no match for the paltry job they’d done hiding it. Besides, the closer she came, the more Webby’s emotions seeped through the friendship bracelet. They were muddled and at a remove, but she knew enough to be enraged. Webby felt hurt, betrayed, even. 

It reminded Lena of how Magica had pitted her against Webby and perhaps made her angrier than it should have. When the elevator arrived, it did so with a loud clang, as she’d used more force than necessary. Mrs. Beakley frowned at Lena, who glared back as the doors opened.

“Are you all right?” Huey asked. 

“I’m fine, just fine,” she snarled. “Go, go, go!”

They clambered into the elevator and Lena had to keep herself from shoving the elevator into freefall. She was so angry that she was practically spitting with it. Since the elevator had no buttons, only a key, she jerked the locking mechanism so hard with her magic that it broke as the elevator descended. She was shaking now and more than ready to harm anyone who had dared raise their hand to her best friend. This much rage might not have been healthy, but it was a relief to have an outlet for it. (In truth, the rage wasn’t solely on Webby’s behalf, but guilt over how she’d used Webby thanks to Aunt Magica, and the two had twisted and warped in her mind). 

She was certain that the elevator would have alerted anyone to their arrival and therefore, as it hit the ground floor and the doors opened, she stood in an offensive position with her fists glowing. She was spoiling for a fight. Mrs. Beakley, too, along with Dewey, assumed fighting stances. Huey and Louie looked uneasy, the latter sticking to the back to prevent getting involved. She would be angry about his cowardice later.

(It wasn’t unexpected, but everything was grating on her nerves right now).

Eggheads lined the hallway in front of them and, in one fell swoop, Lena shoved them away and into the walls. It was more magic than she usually wielded in a shorter time than normal and the effort left her drained, panting, and clinging to the wall. She was determined to tough it out and tried to breathe normally. There was no way she was letting the others reach Webby while she hung back.

“Are you all right?” Mrs. Beakley asked.

“I’m not leaving her here,” Lena snarled and pushed away from the wall. It left her dizzy, which she ignored. “Besides, you need me to find her.”

Ignoring the irritating way the world spun around her, she plowed through to a small, temporary bedroom. There, a petite woman holding a laser gun turned to make their acquaintance. She was holding a laser gun to Webby’s temple and Webby whimpered, muffled behind the gag. Bianca had tussled Webby up like a Christmas ham. 

“How did you find me here?” Bianca snapped. “You brats--”

Her gaze fell upon Webby’s friendship bracelet and then upon Lena’s. Both bracelets glowed. The smug, satisfied look evaporated off her face, replaced by bewilderment. Lena guessed she didn’t have much experience with magic.

“I don’t understand,” Bianca murmured.

Lena snarled, shoving with her magic, only this time, because she hadn’t replenished it from the ley lines and she was already overextended, Bianca moved only a foot or so. The world swam and Lena’s knees buckled. Her vision threatened to disappear altogether and someone caught her before she crashed into the floor. Desperate, Lena sent her awareness down below Funso’s and into the ground beneath it. There had to be ley lines somewhere, magic that she could draw into herself. She was shaking. If she had practiced her magic the way her aunt had wanted her to, this probably wouldn’t be happening. Aunt Magica had always wanted her to build up to moving things and shoving eight Eggheads into the wall hard enough to knock them all out was not pacing herself. She didn’t care. This was her best friend. This was the girl she had died for and she would die for her again if necessary. 

“Hey,” Louie said in her ear. “Hey. We get it. You don’t have to prove yourself again. Calm down.”

Lena’s chest ached. She still hadn’t found the ley lines.

“Lena de Spell,” Bianca said and moved closer. Mrs. Beakley snarled, thrusting herself in between them.

“Don’t you touch her,” Mrs. Beakley snapped. Her gaze roved to Webby and Lena saw it too--the livid red mark on Webby’s cheek. Bianca had been smacking her around.

“ _What_ have you done to Webby?” Mrs. Beakley demanded.

“I wanted to show her that everything is not sunshine and lollipops,” Bianca replied. “And _why_ she should fear me.”

Finally, Lena felt warmth rush through her. Magic raced in her veins and she breathed easier, able to stand without assistance again. With a wave of her hand, she unbound and ungagged Webby, who kicked the wooden chair away so hard that it broke upon impact.

“No one raises a hand to my granddaughter,” Mrs. Beakley snapped. “I knew you were a bad egg from the very beginning, Bianca. But I had thought after you left Webbigail on my doorstep, that you would have never turned back. Why should you care what happens to her?”

“Oh, I don’t,” Bianca said. Webby was watching warily and although her beak quivered, she didn’t cry. Lena rushed to her side and disregarded the weapon Bianca was holding. Another wave of her hand turned it into a magical raven that flew away. Webby flung her arms around Lena and she was shaking. Lena stroked her hair.

“But you threw me out. You disowned me. All because you didn’t like my methods,” Bianca snapped. “I didn’t have integrity, you said, just because I did anything to chase a story. What does it matter if it was true or not? What matters is what you can make people believe.”

She glowered at Webby. “In the right hands, a child can be a weapon. I thought, if I showed her the kind of tough love she deserves, she might understand and not be so sheltered. Because I know what you did. I know you were hiding her from me.”

“A child isn’t a weapon,” Mrs. Beakley retorted, aghast. “A child is a _child_ , an innocent.”

The boys made their way over to Webby and Dewey put a hand on her shoulder.

“Are you okay?” Dewey murmured and Webby shook her head. Tears glittered in her eyes and Dewey hugged both her and Lena.

“You of all people should know that no one is truly innocent,” Bianca countered.

“And what is that supposed to mean?” Mrs. Beakley snapped.

Bianca lunged forward, intending to harm Webby, though Lena couldn’t have said what, exactly. She was just glad the woman didn’t have claws because she looked like she wanted to rip her daughter’s eyes out. Lena released Webby to throw the woman backward and hold her in place.

“Maybe after mutilation, she wouldn’t be your perfect little granddaughter anymore,” Bianca spat. “Maybe--”

“If you think I’m ever letting my granddaughter get within ten feet of you ever again, you’re wrong,” Mrs. Beakley retorted. She picked up the ropes that Lena had removed from Webby and tied Bianca up. She was shaking and the knots slipped a couple of times before she got it right. Bianca glowered, disgusted but unable to move to stop her. Lena’s chest burned with rage and she reminded herself that she was a good guy now. Therefore, slamming Webby’s mother into the wall repeatedly would not impress anyone. Besides, she was better than her. She didn’t need to stoop to FOWL’s level.

“She could’ve been a good FOWL agent,” Bianca said. “With enough time and resources. And if she’d been properly broken.”

This was too much. Lena started forward, but Mrs. Beakley got there first. She shoved the gag into her daughter’s mouth so far that Bianca choked on it and it had to be moved up, albeit after about thirty seconds of listening to Bianca struggle to breathe. 

“What...what does that mean?” Dewey asked, apprehensive. “‘Properly broken’?”

“I think I know,” Lena said darkly. “But you don’t want to know.”

Louie rubbed Webby’s arm.

“You haven’t the faintest idea what children need,” Mrs. Beakley snapped and then paused. “You _are_ a lone agent working on behalf of FOWL, aren’t you? There’s nothing else we need to know about, is there?”

At the first question, Bianca nodded and at the second, she shook her head. Nonetheless, though she hadn’t spoken aloud, Lena questioned the veracity of her statements. Something suspicious was going on here, even if she had no proof. 

Mrs. Beakley wrestled an unresisting Bianca into the elevator and, after an awkward ride back up, she stormed off with her daughter while the kids hung back. Webby was shaking and whimpering, isolating herself in a corner behind the ball pit. Lena tried to throttle her temper, though the balls in the pit briefly all floated before she released them.

“What did she do to you?” Louie demanded.

Webby just shook her head. She didn’t want to talk about it. 

“Guys, maybe we should go home and leave her alone for a bit,” Huey said. Webby nodded, looking grateful. She was trying to present a brave face to the boys, but it wasn’t quite up to par. Lena ached to look at her.

“Are you ready, pink?” Lena asked and Webby nodded, though her gaze was far away as they headed to the entrance and Scrooge’s waiting limo.

* * *

  
  
By the time Webby had finished telling everything that had happened, she looked resigned rather than miserable. Dewey would’ve said that it was an improvement if he weren’t so upset by what she’d said. He knew his mother would never have done anything like that to them. Then again, Magica might’ve done something similar to Lena if she could’ve gotten away with it. He offered Lena a sympathetic smile, but Lena’s gaze was riveted to Webby.

“I guess...I guess I shouldn’t have been putting my beak where it didn’t belong,” Webby admitted. They were seated in her room below the attic. “I wanted to believe the best in her.”

“We all want to believe the best in our parents,” Huey said. “But sometimes, it doesn’t work out.”

“Like when your mom ditches you for the moon for ten years,” Louie muttered and Huey shot him a warning look. “What? She still hasn’t explained or apologized for that. Why aren’t I allowed to be bitter?”

“But our mother would never physically abuse us or manipulate us,” Huey reminded him.

“No, I guess she wouldn’t,” Louie said, reluctantly acceding the point.

“You _guess_?” Huey snapped. He turned to Webby. “What they’re trying to say--”

“I get it,” Webby said and held up her hands. “I’m gonna go to bed for a bit.”

“Are you sure?” Dewey said and Webby nodded, shooting Lena a meaningful look. Apparently, whatever she wanted to talk about was for Lena’s ears only. He was mildly jealous, but he’d do his best to ignore it. If Webby needed Lena, then she needed her. What was he supposed to do about it?

They ascended the ladder and disappeared into the attic.

“We really should have a conversation with Mom about the _Spear of Selene_ ,” Louie said, obstinate.

“I’m not in the mood for an awkward conversation, are you?” Huey retorted.

They looked up, surprised, as Mrs. Beakley entered the room. She didn’t usually visit her granddaughter and, without more than a brief nod of acknowledgment, she ascended the ladder after the girls. Dewey’s curiosity was starting to get the better of him, something Huey noticed, because he yanked his brothers out of the room. Dewey huffed, disappointed.

“Besides, I’m sure Mom had the best intentions,” Dewey said. 

“Of course _you_ are,” Louie scoffed.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dewey demanded. 

“Nothing, nothing,” Louie said, but Dewey wasn’t deceived this time. He looked at the door and then upward as if he could listen in on Webby’s conversation. He was more worried about that than about why their mother had stolen the rocketship. He hoped that she’d be okay.

* * *

  
  
“I’m sorry that you had to find out this way,” Mrs. Beakley said and frowned. “I should have told you from the beginning.”

“It’s not your fault, Granny,” Webby said, looking down at her bedspread. Lena was sitting beside her with an arm about her.

“If I had told you, you wouldn’t have felt the need to go looking for her,” Mrs. Beakley said.

“You don’t think there’s any good left in her at all, do you?” Webby asked and Lena hated the hope that still gleamed in her eyes, even after everything she’d seen, heard, and had done to her. Then again, hope springs eternal.

“If it is, it’s buried very deep,” Mrs. Beakley said. Her eyes narrowed. “Certainly somewhere that we can’t get at it.”

Webby was contemplative. “Everyone has good in them. But, maybe...it’s not enough to make a difference, in her case.”

The hope dimmed in her eyes and Lena sighed, hugging her tightly. “I’m sorry, pink.”

“You can’t save everyone,” Mrs. Beakley said and smiled fondly at Lena. Lena felt uncomfortable with the family closeness angle. She was better at it than she’d been because of Violet, but the bond that Webby and Mrs. Beakley had formed was tighter than anything Lena had with Violet or her dads.

“Thank you for helping us, Lena,” Mrs. Beakley said.

“No problem, Abbey Road,” Lena said, attempting to inject levity into the situation. “Any time, Ringo.”

Mrs. Beakley sighed but didn’t reprimand her. Sometimes, you had to be the bigger person. Unfortunately, Lena wasn’t quite good at that yet, but she was learning to be. 

“Some people are more than the sum of their parts,” Mrs. Beakley said and then grimaced. “But others are less. Much less.”

“What do you think she’s doing now, in jail?” Webby mused.

“Hopefully thinking about turning over a new leaf, but I doubt it,” Mrs. Beakley said and grimaced. “I knew, when she tried to kill that couple, that there was nothing left for her.”

* * *

  
  
The Buzzards were incensed. Not only had Bianca Beakley threatened their whole operation, but she’d also managed to rope the Duck triplets into this. How many times had they warned FOWL operatives to leave Scrooge McDuck and his progeny alone? It appeared Bianca was too thick for the warning to stick. 

If you can’t teach an old dog new tricks...then maybe it was time to put the old dog out back.

Unlike Bianca, they were discreet at what they did. They didn’t leave even a hint that they’d been there. It wasn’t until the morning after that anyone noticed what they’d done and by then, it was too late. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last, I finish this fic. XD I’ve been either working on my novel, reading, or slowly descending into a morass of my own depression. I wish I was kidding about the last one. But that’s why there haven’t been many updates lately.
> 
> In my rush to finish this series tonight, this was not proofread. Any errors are mine alone. (And will probably be fixed when I read this chapter later).


End file.
